


Lady Liberty

by redlipstickblackdress



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome Phil Coulson, F/M, Inexperienced Steve, Protective Steve Rogers, Romance, Sass, Sexual Content, Tony Being Tony, Washington D.C.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-16 18:36:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 11,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2280429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlipstickblackdress/pseuds/redlipstickblackdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain America, Iron Man, and Agent Coulson go to stop a terrorist attack in Washington DC and meet an elementary school teacher and a tour guide.  The two women hit it off with the Captain and Coulson, but are in danger when the attacks continue at various national monuments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Library of Congress

Liberty Montague put on her favorite blue vintage dress, did her hair up in victory rolls, and headed to the Library of Congress. Her best friend was a tour guide there, and she wanted to re-take one of the tours to see if it would be a good field trip for the third grade class she taught. She got there early, paid, and joined the group of tourists waiting to be guided through the huge library, gathering around the guide in her white button-up shirt, blue pencil skirt, and name badge. 

“Hello, my name is Lynette and I’ll be your tour guide today.” She began by explaining the history and construction of the library before starting to direct people away. “Now, if you’ll follow me this way—”

“NOBODY MOVE!” a voice shouted before Lynette could finish. The whole group turned to see three men in black ski masks coming in and pointing guns at everyone. Suddenly, there was mass pandemonium in the Library of Congress. People ran around screaming, shielding loved ones, and trying to hide. 

The gunmen started shooting. For several minutes, nobody did anything helpful, but simply added to the chaos. There were a few people scattered on the floor bleeding. Liberty crouched down in a corner against the wall, and Lynette had hidden behind the front desk. 

The area had cleared out a bit, and one of the shooters noticed Liberty. He pointed his gun at her and her eyes filled with tears. She closed her eyes tightly right as she heard the gunshot, preparing to feel pain, but right after the bang of the gun, she heard a metallic clang. Her eyes opened to see a handsome face that she knew quite well, although she had never met this man. 

“Captain America?” she asked in awe, staring up into his stormy blue eyes. He gave her a polite nod. Liberty had been a huge fan of him for years. Being a World War II enthusiast, she knew Captain America had started as a small, unhealthy boy from Brooklyn and hadn’t given up until he became a war hero. Now, he was part of a team of heroes that helped save the world from danger. As she stared up at his face, she was vaguely aware of more bullets clanging against the indestructible shield as the gunman continued shooting. Suddenly, there was a blast and one of the walls exploded in a flurry of debris, and soon Iron Man was hovering over the floor with sparks shooting out of his hands and feet. 

“Sorry. I’ll pay for that wall. Hey, boys, you might want to leave if you value your man-rocks.” The gunmen realized they were out-weaponed and ran out of the library, escaping. 

“Good work, gentlemen,” a voice said, coming into the library. It was owned by an official-looking man in a crisp, well-tailored suit. 

Iron Man and Captain America started helping injured people into the ambulances that had just pulled up. Liberty immediately began helping too, keeping people calm and making sure that the victims had plenty of space. The Captain noticed her stepping up to help others moments after looking death in the face, and appreciated the reminder that a true soldier isn’t just someone who shoots a gun on a battlefield. 

Meanwhile, the man in the suit approached Lynette. 

“Miss, I’m Agent Phil Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention & Espionage Logistics Division,” he introduced. 

“The what, what, what and what, what division?” 

“Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D. I need to ask you a few questions about what happened today.” 

While he was questioning Lynette, Iron Man, Cap, and Liberty were helping the last injured person into an ambulance. Cap now took a moment to truly look at this woman who had helped without even being asked. She looked like someone he could relate to, like she had stepped out of his time. He snapped out of his musings when he realized that she was shyly coming toward him. He removed his mask – he didn’t need to have it on any more.

“Captain America? I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. I’m a big fan. I mean…I’m sure you get that a lot…” she stammered. How that she could see his whole face, she realized he was even more handsome than he was on TV.

“Just once, actually,” he answered with a half-smile, glancing over at Agent Coulson, who was the only other fan he had met. “What’s your name?” 

“Liberty.” 

“Nice name,” he said before noticing Agent Coulson motion to him that it was time to leave. “It’s nice to meet you, Liberty,” he added before running away. He, Coulson, and Tony left the library, walking away. Liberty and Lynette stood outside to answer some questions for the police, planning to get some lunch when they were done and recover from the traumatic morning.

“Is anyone else craving pizza? I’m starving. We could have left earlier, but Rocket's Red Glare over here made a friend. Did she get you to buy war bonds?” Tony said, referring to the 1940s style the girl had been sporting. 

“Don’t you ever take anything seriously?” Cap asked sternly. “Liberty almost died and she still went above and beyond the call of duty. Does that mean anything to you?” 

“Is her name really Liberty, or is that the name you gave her in your head?”

“Gentlemen, this is not the time to argue,” Coulson scolded.

“I think Star-Spangled Spandex has a crush,” Tony surmised. 

“I’m not here to flirt, Stark,” Cap argued, although Coulson and Tony noticed him look over his shoulder as if to see if Liberty was still standing there.

“You know, if you got laid, maybe you wouldn’t be so uptight,” Tony speculated. 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Coulson said. “Captain, give me an honest answer. Would you like to get to know Liberty better?” 

“I would,” he answered honestly, since he had been commanded to. 

“Go ask her to lunch. That’s an order.” 

Steve Rogers was not one to turn down an order; his military background didn’t allow it. He mumbled a thank you to Coulson and ran back to the front of the library where thankfully, Liberty was still standing with Lynette. 

“Ma’am?” he asked, making her turn around. She looked up at him in surprise. “Thank you for helping out today. I’d like to take you to lunch if you don’t already have plans.” Liberty looked torn, glancing at Lynette. However, Lynette was a great friend and went into wingwoman mode. 

“We did have plans, but I just remembered I forgot to tell Agent Coulson something, so she’s all yours,” Lynette said with a wink, walking toward Agent Coulson and Tony. 

“I’m not from around here – do you know of a good place?” the Captain asked. Liberty just nodded, unable to speak with Captain America looking at her. She led him in the right direction and they walked to an old-timey burger place. 

Meanwhile, Lynette had approached Coulson and Tony, who looked at her questioningly. 

“Your Captain stole my lunch date,” she said bluntly. 

“Are you up for pizza? I really want pizza, I’m not gonna lie.” 

“Pizza works for me,” Lynette shrugged. “You coming, Agent Phil?” 

“Agent Coulson,” he corrected as they started walking toward the nearest pizza place. 

“If you didn’t want me to use your first name, you shouldn’t have told me what it is,” Lynette shrugged. 

“I like her,” Tony said, in a much better mood now that they were getting pizza.


	2. Lunch

Steve sat there in his Captain America costume across from Liberty, who was mostly just sitting there speechless and shyly glancing at him. 

“I’m sorry if I’m not very good company,” Liberty finally said. “I guess I’m just sort of…intimidated…by you.” 

“Well, I’m just a kid from Brooklyn,” he said. “There’s no reason to be uncomfortable.” She just smiled and looked down into her Coca-Cola. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” he suggested. Maybe it would get conversation started. 

“Oh. My name’s Liberty…but you already know that. I’m a teacher. I teach the third grade.” 

“That’s nice,” he said, like he actually meant it. A lot of people usually said ‘that’s nice’ when she told them what she did, but he said it in a way that didn’t make her feel like she’d chosen the wrong career path. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

“Of course.” 

“How did you guys know about that attack on the Library of Congress? You got there so quickly.” 

“The organization I work with intercepted an anonymous threatening email,” he explained. Email was still a strange concept to him, but he was beginning to understand it. 

“Oh. Well, I’m certainly glad you showed up. You saved a lot of lives today.” 

“I can’t take all the credit. You were a big help,” he said. 

“Thank you, Captain,” she said, blushing. 

“Please, call me Steve.” 

Their burgers arrived and they munched on fries dipped in ketchup while they occasionally chatted. The silences weren’t incredibly awkward, and soon Steve was paying the waitress and they left. 

“Thank you for lunch,” Liberty said once they were outside. He nodded and they stood there for a moment. 

“Is there a way I can contact you again next time I’m in town?” he asked. Liberty pulled a pen and an old receipt out of her pocket and scribbled her phone number and address on the back. 

“Thanks. I’d better go,” he said, as if he really didn’t want to. 

“Don’t be a stranger,” she said, and he gave her a nod and a half-smile and then walked away. Once he was gone, Liberty slapped herself in the forehead. Don’t be a stranger? Really? That’s the last thing she ever said to Captain America? She was so lame. 

*****

Tony, Coulson, and Lynette walked into a nearby pizza place and ordered an extra-large sausage and mushroom pizza, which Tony paid for. 

“So, is your friend’s actual name Liberty?” 

“Yes,” Lynette answered Tony. 

“And she lives in Washington, DC?” 

“Yep.” 

“What does she do, again?” 

“She’s an elementary school teacher.” 

“Of course she is.” 

“Yeah, whatever joke you’re thinking of telling, she’s already heard it,” Lynette assured. Coulson suddenly chimed in. 

“Has she heard the one about a monk, a prostitute, and Edgar Allen Poe walking into a bar?” he asked quite seriously. Lynette just looked at him blankly. “Never mind.” 

“There is no way that joke isn’t dirty,” Tony said. “Tell it to me later.” 

“It’s a shame we have to leave so soon,” Coulson said casually. “I would have loved to take one of your tours.” 

“Are you trying to flirt?” Tony asked. “Stop it, it’s weird.” 

“Too bad. I give great tours,” Lynette said. 

“Are you flirting back? Do you two want me to leave? If you do, I’m taking the pizza with me.” Tony interjected.

“It would appear I have great taste in tour guides, then,” Coulson said with a smirk. 

“I’m fairly certain we’re not talking about tours anymore, and it’s making me uncomfortable,” Tony announced. “Do you know how hard it is to make me uncomfortable?” 

“We’d better get back to headquarters,” Coulson said, finally giving up on flirting due to Tony’s interruptions. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lynette.” 

“I hope you can come back for that tour sometime,” she answered. “Mr. Stark, thank you for the pizza.” 

The three dispersed, and Tony and Coulson went to locate Cap. 

“How do I come here with Agent Uptight and Captain Rocket Pop and I’m the only one who isn’t flirting with a girl? Has the world turned upside down?” Tony rambled as they walked away to find Steve. Coulson’s phone rang. It was Nick Fury.


	3. Liberty and the Captain

Liberty’s phone rang and it was a number she didn’t recognize, but she figured she’d answer it anyway. 

“Hello?” 

“Hello. This is Steve Rogers,” the deep voice said on the other line. Steve heard a crash and a rustle, which he didn’t know was actually Liberty dropping her phone in surprise and hastening to pick it up. 

“Steve! Hi!” she said in a voice that was a little more high-pitched than it probably should be. 

“It turns out my boss wants me to stay in Washington D.C. for a while.” 

“Oh, really?” she tried to say nonchalantly. 

“I don’t know how long I’ll be in town, but I was hoping I could take you to dinner tonight.” 

“I’d like that.” 

“What time should I pick you up?” 

“Does 7:00 work?” He said it did, and she gave him her address. Thank goodness she had just shaved her legs in the shower. She dialed Lynette’s number, put her on speakerphone, and started putting her hair in vintage foam rollers. For the next few hours, she told her friend all about the phone call from Captain America and how she had a date with him that night. She couldn’t wait to see him again, although she was nervous. However, clearly he had enjoyed her company enough at lunch to ask her out. 

Steve arrived at 7:00 sharp and Liberty opened the door to reveal herself in a black and white polka dot 40s dress, her hair curled and accessorized with a flower, seamed stockings, and red lips. Steve looked as if he had planned on saying something when she’d opened the door, but was now speechless. She smiled at him in his white button-up shirt and black pants, his clean-cut blond hair combed neatly. 

“You look nice,” he finally said after realizing that he’d been staring at her. 

“Thank you. So do you,” she said shyly. “Ready to go?” 

Steve led her to a cab and they rode to a French restaurant he’d gotten as a recommendation from Tony. He wasn’t sure it was a great idea to trust Stark, but he didn’t know how else to find out a good place for dinner. The place ended up being really nice, though. They enjoyed a delicious meal and incredible wine for a couple of hours while they got to know each other better. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Steve asked at one point. 

“Anything.” 

“Why do you…I mean…the way you dress…” he tried to begin, not sure how to phrase it. 

“Oh, why do I dress like I’m from the 1940s? A lot of people ask that,” she told him. “I guess I just feel like I’m from the wrong era or something.” 

“I know that feeling,” Steve said. 

“I guess I’m just sort of old fashioned. I long for a time when people gave what they had to help others, even if they didn’t have much to offer.” 

“You’re the first person I’ve met in a long time who understands that concept,” he said, a bit surprised. Most people nowadays took an ‘Every Man for Himself’ philosophy, but that’s just not how he was raised. 

“I’m glad to know I’m not romanticizing it too much.” 

“Well, it wasn’t all glamour and USO shows. The war was hell…but people understood the importance of it. Like you.” 

“Like me?” 

“Like when you were helping those people after the shooting. You had just been face-to-face with the barrel of a gun, but you thought about helping those who’d been hurt. To tell you the truth, when I saw you, I thought, ‘now that’s a soldier.’” 

“That means a lot coming from you, Captain.” 

They finished their dinner and decided to take a walk, strolling side-by-side in silence for several minutes. After a while, Steve reached over hesitantly and took her hand. She just smiled.   
“I’m sorry if I’m not very good at this. I haven’t done a lot of dating,” he explained. 

“You’re doing great,” she assured him. “You’re not doing any of the things most guys these days try on dates, and that’s a good thing.” 

He looked like he didn’t entirely understand what she meant, but it didn’t matter. As long as she was happy, so was he. Finally, he led her into a cab and they went back to her apartment, where he walked her to her door. 

“I had a wonderful time tonight,” she said, not putting her key in the lock yet. He just nodded and looked a bit unsure what to do. To encourage him that he was doing fine, she got up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He gave her a small smile and she went inside, wondering if his friends would notice the print of her red lipstick on his cheek.


	4. Lynette and the Agent

Lynette arrived at the library and prepared for her first tour of the day. She was grabbing her name badge from behind the front desk when she heard a vaguely familiar voice behind her. 

“Excuse me, I’d like to take a tour with Lynette, please.” 

“Her first tour of the day is in 15 minutes,” the receptionist said. Lynette turned around to see Phil Coulson in his crisp black suit. 

“Hi, Phil,” she greeted him. Her co-worker gave her a look that said, ‘who’s the cute guy that’s all excited to see you?’ “I thought you had to leave town.” 

“It turns out I’m staying for a while,” he informed her. 

“Is that right? Well, I guess you get to take that tour after all. Hopefully this one will be less traumatic than my last one.” 

“Actually, I was hoping when you have a moment to spare, we could discuss security measures. “ 

“Well, I’m not the one in charge of security here at the Library of Congress,” Lynette warned. 

“I was referring to your security.” 

“Do you think I need personal security?” she asked. 

“I’m not sure. Perhaps we should discuss it over dinner?” 

“I think that can be arranged. Tonight?” Lynette suggested. She grabbed one of her business cards, scribbled her address and cell phone number on the back, and slid it into the front pocket of his suit jacket, maintaining eye contact the whole time. Then, without another word, she gathered up her tour group. 

“Hello, my name is Lynette and I’ll be your tour guide today…”

Phil really enjoyed seeing Lynette in action. She was funny, joked around with people, and made sure everyone got their questions answered. She was especially adorable with the children. When the tour was over, everyone dispersed to explore on their own, except for Phil, of course. 

“I was right. You do give good tours.” 

“I told you I do,” she said. “So, it would appear that I was right.”

They made arrangements for their dinner plans that evening and then Phil left. 

*****

That evening, Coulson picked Lynette up from the apartment she shared with Liberty and admired the way she looked in her classic little black dress. 

“It’s good that we’re discussing security tonight, because you will need to be watched very closely while you’re wearing that dress,” Phil informed her. 

“I’m glad I have you looking out for me, in that case,” she replied.

They got into a cab and rode to a Middle Eastern restaurant where they dined on exotic cuisine and flirted. 

“So, you were saying something about my personal security at the library today?” Lynette asked. 

“Yes. Since you were threatened on the job, I feel it would be prudent for you to have someone protecting you at all times,” he explained. 

“Are you saying you want to spend a lot of time with me?” she asked flirtatiously. 

“I’m saying that I may be working very closely with you for a while, and I’m not necessarily going to mind.” 

“Do you date every woman you meet on the job?” 

“No, only the gorgeous ones.” 

“How many of those have there been?” 

“That’s classified,” he said with eyes sparkling. 

They finished eating and Phil paid, and they went for a walk so that they could continue exchanging quips. Finally, they rode a cab back to her apartment. When they got to the door, she waited to put her key in the door. 

“I had a good time. I guess I’ll be seeing more of you,” she smiled. 

“I’ll be around,” he agreed. “Goodnight.” He looked down at her, but didn’t move any closer, so she wrapped a hand around his tie and pulled him closer until his lips met hers. She gave him a brief kiss and then said, 

“Goodnight.” 

However, he was having none of this and stepped forward until her back was pressed against her door. He put a hand on the door above her head and leaned down to kiss her more thoroughly, his lips moving over hers, although still remaining fairly appropriate for a first date. Finally, they stopped kissing and he gave her a cheeky look before letting her enter her apartment, breathless and reeling.


	5. Lincoln Memorial

Steve, Tony, and Coulson got to the Lincoln Memorial as quickly as they could. There was the same type of mass chaos there as had been at the Library of Congress. It seemed like déjà vu in a lot of ways. Coulson was almost positive it was the same guys. 

Tony shot repulsor beams out of his Iron Man suit while Captain America tried to get as many people as possible to safety. Coulson held his gun on the shooters, firing a few well-aimed shots.   
Realizing that there was backfire, they ran away, escaping for the second time from S.H.I.E.L.D. As the three men called Fury to tell him what happened, they were instructed to stay at the capitol to keep an eye out for any more threats. Fury said he’d let them know if he heard anything they might need to know. 

Thus, they returned to their hotel and awaited what was to come next.


	6. Liberty Lingers at the Door

Steve picked Liberty up for their second date and thought she looked incredible in her black pencil skirt, white blouse, and blue cardigan. They rode a cab to a history museum. He bought their tickets, grabbed a map, and they slowly began exploring. They spent the better part of the day wandering around the various displays, rooms, and exhibits, admiring the fascinating pieces of the past – some of them quite familiar to Steve. It was weird for him to see things that were ordinary for him in his own time being treasured and admired behind glass as a part of history. 

As they meandered through the large building, Steve tentatively reached out and took Liberty’s hand, threading his fingers through hers. She tightened her grip on his hand ever so slightly just for a moment to encourage him that she didn’t mind – in fact, her heart was all but racing at the simple touch. Captain America- World War II war hero, superhero, and American comic book icon – was touching her. In a romantic way! 

After they’d exhausted every area of the museum, they took a short walk to a hot dog stand for lunch. Steve was worried Liberty would find hot dogs tacky for a date, but she loved them and actually thought the casual feel of the meal helped her relax and not feel so much pressure to be perfect. They finished their cheap but delicious lunch and clasped hands again, taking a walk until dark. While her cardigan had been adequate warmth during the day, once the sun set Steve noticed Liberty shivering and removed his brown leather jacket for her to wear. She thanked him and they walked and talked for a while longer before riding back to Liberty’s apartment. 

Liberty fiddled with her keys while glancing up at Steve, hoping he would catch her hint. 

“I saw you on the news at the Lincoln Memorial. I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“Thank you.” He shyly looked back at her, took a step closer. She shuffled slightly closer too, and he started to lean down, but then chickened out and took a step back, cheeks slightly pink. 

“Well, goodnight. Take care,” he said, turning and walking away. Liberty got inside and sighed deeply, wondering what was wrong with her that he changed his mind.


	7. Library Tour

Lynette was both surprised and relieved when she arrived at work and saw Coulson standing at the front desk; surprised because he had already taken one of her tours, and relieved because she had seen coverage of the Lincoln Memorial shooting on the news and was worried about him. 

“Where’s my tour group?” she asked the receptionist. 

“This is it. He booked you for a private tour,” she whispered, giving Lynette a ‘lucky you’ look. 

“Well, in that case, follow me,” Lynette said to Coulson professionally. He followed her as she took a few turns and they ended up in a rather secluded part of the library. Once they were out of sight of anyone else, she got up on her toes and started kissing him. He was surprised for a moment, but certainly didn’t mind. His arms found their way around her waist as he kissed her back obediently. 

“What was that for?” he asked when she finally stopped. 

“You were at the Lincoln Memorial shooting. It was dangerous,” she explained, playing with his tie.

“Were you worried about me?” he asked as if amused. “You must really like me.” 

“No, it was actually more of a self-preservation thing, I don’t want my bodyguard dying on me.” 

“I see. A body like yours can’t go unguarded,” he responded, his eyes examining her figure. 

“But who will guard yours?”

“I’m accepting applications,” he said without missing a beat. She gave him a look and decided they should get on with the tour. They spent the rest of the day with her showing him around the library as they occasionally pulled each other behind a shelf to steal a kiss. They made plans for another date before he left.


	8. Light on Her Feet

Steve wanted his third date with Liberty to be a little more romantic than the last one had been. He made reservations at a candlelit Italian restaurant and Tony even insisted on renting a powder-blue vintage T-bird convertible for him to drive, insisting that it would get him laid, whatever that meant. 

Steve put on his old army uniform, figuring it was the nicest thing he had and was pretty durable. He had asked Liberty to wear something nice, but warm. When he arrived to pick her up, she had on a form-fitting red dress with a sweetheart neckline and an overlay of lacy long sleeves. Her hair fell in soft curls around her face, one side pinned back with a white flower. He stared with his mouth open for a moment, admiring the way the dress hugged her curves. She smiled and grabbed a cute but warm white cardigan, grabbed her handbag, and locked her door. 

When Steve led her down to the T-bird, it was her turn to stare agape. He opened the door for her and he drove her to the Italian restaurant where they got a table tucked away in an intimate corner, allowing them to chat in privacy and exchange glances. The waitress seemed to enjoy smiling at the handsome captain in his uniform, but she was invisible to Steve. Liberty couldn’t help but blush that he only had eyes for her. 

After dinner, Steve took her for a drive outside of town, where the scenery became prettier, although it was getting dark. Finally, Steve parked in a little area where the trees parted to overlook the city, the lights sparkling up at them. Steve turned the radio on to a station that played big band music and they leaned back in their seats, hand-in-hand, to look at the lights and the stars. They talked like that for a while until ‘Stardust’ began playing. Steve got an idea and turned his head to look nervously at Liberty. 

“Would you like to dance?” 

“Here?” He nodded. “I’d love to.” 

They got out of the car and he wrapped a strong arm around her. They slowly began swaying to the song. Thank goodness Pepper Potts had showed him how to dance once.   
Steve wasn’t sure when it happened, but at some point it became clear as day that she wanted him to kiss her. After looking in her eyes for a few moments, while they were still dancing, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, his heart racing. It was a short, sweet, romantic kiss dancing under the stars. They spent a long time dancing above the lights, exchanging kisses, before he finally took her home.


	9. Languid Kisses

The next time the shooters hit, they targeted the Smithsonian. For the third time, they escaped S.H.I.E.L.D.’s capture. Coulson was starting to get angry that these guys kept eluding him. People were getting injured and it was only a matter of time before someone got killed. The only thing that relaxed some of his stress was the reminder that he had another date with Lynette.   
When he arrived at her apartment, she was surprised to see him without a suit on. Even though he had told her to dress casually, she had only ever seen him dressed up. He had on well-fitted jeans and a black button-up shirt. She had opted for tight jeans and a low-cut green top. He wouldn’t tell her were they were going, but he led her to his red 1960 Corvette. She was a bit of a car enthusiast and reached a hand out to feel the glossy vehicle. 

“Don’t touch Lola,” he said very seriously, opening the car door for her. She wasn’t sure when or how his car had arrived in Washington D.C., but she certainly appreciated it. 

He drove them to an aquarium. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but it wasn’t that. He bought them admission and they wandered around, watching the fascinating creatures elegantly glide through the water, their faces glowing turquoise as the water reflected on them through the glass. As they walked, he took her hand, wanting to give her enough space to look at what she wanted to, but also wanting to touch her. 

For a while they just took their time slowly watching the fish and other underwater organisms, Coulson occasionally reciting some odd little factoid about an eel or a turtle or his favorite, the octopus. Lynette thought it was incredibly adorable and gave his hand a squeeze every time to let him know. 

After a while, they grew quiet and just sat on a bench with his arm around her and her head on his shoulder, staring at the fish wiggling around. It was incredibly relaxing in the midst of a rather stressful time. 

“Phil,” Lynette finally said softly. 

“Yes?” 

“Phil,” she said again, lifting her head so that he would see that she was going to say something serious. “I know that it’s your job to deal with things like these shooters…I think it’s amazing that you do that…I just worry about you. I wish you didn’t have to be at the Smithsonian yesterday when they were attacking…I was worried sick. I know we haven’t known each other very long, but if something happened to you, I’d…” she didn’t finish the sentence, but he knew what she meant. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled down at her. 

“I love that you’re worried. It shows that you care about me, and I’m lucky to have a woman like you caring about me…but don’t forget that I’m a trained special agent. I’m more qualified than anyone to take these guys down. And if I have a woman like you and I don’t do everything in my power to protect you…that would mean I don’t deserve you, and I don’t think I could handle that.” 

“Will you at least promise you’ll be careful?” she asked. 

“I’m always careful,” he assured her, putting a hand on her face to capture her lips with his. Something about kissing languidly in the ever-moving crystal glow made it seem like they were the only two people in the world and like everything would be okay. They kissed for a long time under the cyan light before wandering off again, enjoying each other’s presence and occasionally exchanging kisses between glass panels of beautiful blue water.


	10. Liberty's Strawberry Pie

For the next few weeks, Steve and Liberty continued going on dates and spending as much time as possible together. Liberty even had Steve come and give her class a presentation on World War II. He was adorable with the children, and she felt comfortable taking him around her students because he represented good values and integrity. Finally, she got off work for the day and Steve took her for an early dinner at a Southern comfort food restaurant. 

After filling up on the delicious food, they returned to Liberty’s apartment and cuddled up on the couch, watching an old musical. She then made them a strawberry pie for dessert. While it was baking, Liberty began rinsing the dishes she’d used to make the pie, but Steve decided to distract her from this task by wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, and started kissing her neck. 

“Steve,” she giggled, “I’m doing the dishes.” 

“I’ll do them later,” he promised against her skin. 

“Do you have plans for right now?” she teased. 

“I plan to take you over to that couch and kiss you until I can smell that pie,” he informed her. He then untied her ruffled blue apron and tossed it aside. She turned to kiss him and he wrapped his arms around her waist to lift her in an embrace, her feet coming off the floor as her arms tightened around his strong neck. They kissed all the way to the couch and he collapsed backward onto it, taking her down on top of him; the kissing continued for a long time, tongues mingling and fingers threading into each other’s hair. Eventually, they had to stop to eat the pie, then they continued passionately kissing until they fell asleep on the couch, leaving Lynette to find them late at night when she arrived home. She simply threw a blanket over them and left them there with a smile.


	11. Lynette's Protection

Coulson and Lynette had also become an official couple and were in each other’s company a lot. The fact that nothing had happened with the shooters for a few weeks gave Coulson a false sense of security and allowed him to worry less and enjoy his time with Lynette more. 

One day, the two of them went to the National Mall to view the sculpture garden when what had been intended as a peaceful day date became horrifying. The gunmen decided to make another appearance. As soon as chaos began ensuing, Coulson gently pushed Lynette in another direction. 

“Run!” he said to her. “Go!” 

“What about you?” she asked, hesitating. 

“Lynette, you have to get out of here. I need you to be safe.” He pulled out his gun and pointed it around for self-defense. Lynette didn’t follow his instructions and leave, just dialed 911 on her phone and explained the emergency. Phil, knowing he couldn’t force her to run, stepped in front of her to shield her with his body while the shooters pointed their guns in the direction. He fired off a shot, but the other guy had shot first and all of a sudden Coulson shouted in pain and grabbed his bicep, his suit sleeve already darkening with blood. 

“Phil!” Lynette shouted, turning him to her and holding his face in her hands. “We have to get you to a hospital.” 

“I can’t leave,” he said, hissing in pain as he tried to keep his wound under control. To Lynette’s relief, she heard the whoosh of Tony arriving, suited up in metal, and a moment later saw Steve parachute out of a S.H.I.E.L.D. jet above them. When both men had touched down, Cap started rushing people to safety while Tony held the gunmen at bay with blasts from his suit. The ambulances pulled up and Lynette managed to drag Coulson into one, despite his protests. She rode with him all the way there and waited while he was treated. When she saw the doctor emerge, she bolted up and sighed with relief as she heard that he was going to be fine, and was just drugged, bandaged, and asleep at the moment. They let her into his room and she fell asleep in a chair next to his bed, knowing she had to be there when he woke up.


	12. Love?

Lynette had texted Liberty that she was spending the night at the hospital, and after hearing about what had happened Liberty was worried sick about Steve. So, when he arrived at her apartment in his Captain America uniform with a cut on his forehead and a few good bruises, she couldn’t stop herself from grabbing his face and kissing him breathless. He certainly didn’t mind, since all he had thought about the whole time was how much he wanted to protect Liberty (no pun intended), so he kissed her back with equal eagerness. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing her mouth up to a more appropriate level for his, and in the passion of the moment he walked them to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed, lowering himself halfway on top of her. 

His lips released hers and started kissing a path down her neck. 

“I was so worried about you,” she breathed. 

“I was so worried about you,” he countered. 

“Me? I was right here, completely safe,” she pointed out, sighing as his mouth moved over her skin. 

“But if something happened to me, I wouldn’t be able to protect you,” he told her. “Have I told you you’re beautiful?” he added, changing the subject, as he undid the top button of her shirt and kissed the newly revealed skin of her collarbone.

“A few times, but I never get tired of hearing it,” she answered, running her hands up and down his chest through the fabric of his uniform, feeling the muscles underneath. He undid another button and kissed her sternum as she slid the half-hidden zipper down the front of his uniform, sliding her hands underneath it and across the skin of his firm chest. Steve started to undo a third button, when he suddenly paused and lifted his head to look at the small girl beneath him. 

“Liberty…I know we haven’t really talked about this…” he began, not knowing how else to bring up this intimate subject. Liberty looked at him confusedly; she was used to this man being so strong and brave and sure of himself, and suddenly he was acting like a shy little boy. “You should know that I…don’t have much experience with…this sort of thing...I know that nowadays most guys have done it before, and I just don’t want you to be disappointed…not that I would ever push you to do something you don’t want to do, if you don’t want to…” he stammered, not wanting to offend her in either direction. 

“Steve, it’s okay, you could never disappoint me. I want to…I just don’t really have experience either…”

“Oh,” he looked slightly relieved, “I just thought most people these days—”

“Most people have, I just haven’t ever met a guy I wanted to…until now. I mean, not that you have to. But I want to, with you…if you want to,” she said, blushing. 

“I do want to. With you,” he told her. He leaned down to kiss her again, her hands threading into his hair, and then he stopped to look at her again. “But not tonight,” he concluded. 

“Not tonight,” she agreed. It wasn’t the right time, but she was glad they had talked about it. To be honest, it had been on her mind lately and she was too shy to bring it up. They decided that instead of having sex, they’d just snuggle up in bed, make out for a while, and then go to sleep, him spooning her tightly, his heart soaring that this beautiful woman wanted him as much as he wanted her, and that when the time was right, they would share something like that together. It was the first time he realized that he was falling in love with her.


	13. Lynette's Bed

When Phil awoke the next day, it took him a moment to realize where he was. He took it all in – the hospital bed, his bandaged arm, and the beautiful Lynette asleep in the chair next to him. Good. At least she was safe. After a few minutes, she woke up as well and immediately took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. 

“You’re okay!” 

“I’m trained to take a bullet. I’ve been through a lot worse,” he said darkly, then softened. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” 

“Steve and Tony called to say they’re stopping by this afternoon, and Liberty is going to bring you some decent food later. The doctor said you can probably leave in a few days, but that it’ll take a couple weeks to recover completely.” 

“I don’t have a couple weeks. I need to stop these guys.” 

“Phil, if you get hurt again it won’t be helping anyone. You’re going to come stay with me and Liberty until you’re better.” 

“You two don’t really have any room for me…” 

“There’s room in my bed for you,” she said, walking her fingers up his good arm. His eyes seemed to light up at this. “I can always sleep on the couch,” she teased. “Of course, if you needed anything in the middle of the night, it might be easier if I was just right there.” 

“That might be for the best,” he agreed, then used his uninjured arm to wrap a hand behind her neck and bring her head down to his so he could kiss her soundly. He certainly didn’t have complaints about this arrangement. 

Later that day, Tony arrived and shortly after Steve and Liberty followed, bearing a lasagna that the five of them could share. Steve also had brought a vintage Captain America comic book he’d bought and signed to give to Phil, who was his number one fan. Tony, knowing that Steve had not returned to their S.H.I.E.L.D.-funded accommodations that night, looked at the couple suspiciously. 

“Hey, Poster Boy, you never came back last night,” he pointed out. “Where’d you go?” 

“He spent the night at our apartment,” Liberty said, rolling her eyes at Tony. 

“Got it. That’s cool, I just wondered. Wait, did he sleep in your bed with you?” 

“Stark, is this really a good time—”

“Hey, no shame. You slept in the same bed as your girlfriend after dating her for over a month. You’ve finally become a man,” Tony said, his voice overflowing with sarcasm. “So, your name is really Liberty?” 

“Yes, Tony, we’ve been over this.” 

“You’re a schoolteacher in Washington, D.C. named Liberty, and you’re dating Captain America.” 

“Yes.” 

“I can’t even come up with a better name for you. I feel a little dead inside.” 

“I haven’t even told you that my brother’s name is Justice.” 

Tony didn’t really have a reaction to that, but just sort of looked like he was having an identity crisis and stared at the wall. For the rest of the day they hung out in Coulson’s hospital room like a family, eating lasagna and giving each other crap. 

*****

After a few days, Coulson was finally released from the hospital and went home with Lynette. She got him all set up in her bed and made sure he was comfortable. He slept a lot of the day while she cleaned up the apartment and made meals for him. 

Finally, it started to get late and Liberty was already in bed asleep, so Lynette changed into pajama shorts and a tank top and crawled into bed next to Phil. She cuddled into his side and he put his good arm around her, playing with her hair. 

“Phil, have I told you how much I appreciate what you do for me? It’s not every day a girl’s boyfriend literally takes a bullet for her.” 

“You’re worth it,” he promised, placing a kiss into her hair. 

“I should reward you for being so sweet to me,” she said, kissing up his neck. When her lips found the spot just below his ear, he inhaled sharply. Enjoying the reaction, she ran her teeth over the area and he sighed again. Taking that into consideration, she gently rolled halfway on top of him and kissed him deeply. A moment later, she returned her mouth to his neck, then started unbuttoning his shirt and kissing down his chest. When she’d gotten the buttons undone, she straddled him and carefully removed his shirt so she could toss it aside. 

“Maybe I should get shot more often,” he joked. 

“Don’t you dare,” she said seriously. “Getting shot for me once was more than enough.” Then she started undoing his pants. While he was being undressed, he decided that she was too clothed and used one hand to lift her tank top a bit. She lifted her arms so that he could pull it over her head, discovering that she had not left her bra on when she changed. He explored the newly exposed skin with his hands, slightly hissing in pain at the movement in his wounded arm. “Take it easy,” she told him, leaning down to kiss him again and pressing her hips against his as her tongue dipped into his mouth. She briefly stopped to add, “I promise I’ll be gentle with your arm. As for the rest of you…” she didn’t finish, just demonstrated by taking his earlobe between her teeth. This made him moan loudly. When she could feel that his excitement was growing quite rapidly, she stood up and slowly removed her shorts, maintaining eye contact with him. Finally, she peeled off the last of their garments and then got on top of him again, rewarding him for how well he’d treated her ever since they met.


	14. Liberty and Steve Get Laid

After another shooting at the Washington Monument, it was clear that the three guys were getting pretty discouraged. Coulson couldn’t go help because of his gunshot wound, making him feel like he was letting down his team; Steve was getting tired and sad, his faith in his country slowly dwindling; and Tony, although he wouldn’t admit it, missed his girlfriend Pepper and was upset that he’d encountered a problem that his money and his suit couldn’t get him out of. 

After a video chat with Fury, it was decided that the rest of the Avengers would be sent to help. Meanwhile, Steve, Tony, and Coulson were told to take a couple of days off to recharge. Tony immediately used his suit to fly to New York to spend a few days with Pepper at his tower. Coulson spent the time just resting so that his arm would heal as quickly as possible, and Lynette took good care of him. Steve decided to rent a car and drive Liberty to a little cabin in Maryland where they would spend a couple days relaxing together. 

They arrived and took a nap, cuddled up in the spacious bed in the cabin, then awoke, dressed up, and went to the nearest town for some dinner at a nice restaurant Steve had looked up when he’d made the plans for the getaway. They returned to the cabin and Steve lit a fire, then they cuddled up on the couch in front of it, still in their nice clothes – a blue sleeveless 1940s-style dress for Liberty and a gray suit for Steve, his jacket already removed when they’d arrive back at the cabin. 

For a while, they just talked about little things, such as how good the food had been and how nice it was to get away with everything. The conversation drifted off into comfortable silence, Liberty snuggling even tighter into his arms, and it just seemed like the right moment for Steve to mention what was on his mind. 

“Liberty?” 

“Yes?” 

“Liberty,” he said again, his serious tone making her lift her head to look at him. He put a hand on her face and kissed her affectionately before continuing. “I have something I need to say,” he began. 

“I have something to tell you too,” she interrupted nervously. He looked a bit hesitant. “But you go first,” she said hastily, kicking herself for making the situation uncomfortable. 

“Alright,” he said, taking a breath. “Liberty, I know we haven’t been seeing each other very long, so I hope this doesn’t make you uncomfortable, but I want to be honest with you. So…I love you,” he blurted out, trying to make sure it was said before he chickened out. Her eyes got slightly shiny with tears. “I hope that’s okay…you don’t have to say it back or anything, I just wanted you to know. What were you going to tell me?” 

“I was going to say that I love you,” she admitted, her voice cracking slightly as she teared up. “I was afraid I was going to scare you away.” 

“Liberty Montague, there are some things that would scare me, but you could never be one of them,” he said. “I didn’t know if I should say it so soon…” 

“The timing is perfect,” she assured, grabbing his face to capture his lips with hers, deciding she’d had enough of the talking and that some kissing was in order now. Their tongues began wandering into each other’s mouths and Liberty had worked his tie loose and undone a couple buttons of his shirt so that she could slide her hands along his neck. His hands had begun in her hair, but had slid down to her back, and worked their way lower until he found a sensitive area on her lower spine that made her sigh against his lips. She broke the kiss and he looked at her carefully, trying to decide if he’d done something wrong or not, waiting for her to speak. “Steve, remember that…thing we talked about?” 

“What thing?” he asked, then his eyes widened. “Oh…uh…yeah.” She bit her lip and blushed, and he understood it. “Tonight?” he asked. She nodded shyly. 

“Unless—” she started, not wanting to pressure him, but he cut her off with a passionate kiss, stroking that area of her spine again, causing her to arch against him and tighten her grip on his neck. That was all the assurance they both needed that this was the right time. He scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, setting her down on the floor next to the bed.   
She used the tie to pull his mouth back to hers, then undid it and tossed it aside, working on his shirt buttons until she could push the shirt off his shoulders and expose his muscular torso. While her hands wandered over his chest, he slowly undid the zipper on the back of her dress, pushing it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor at her feet. She gave his pants similar treatment, undoing his belt and zipper and letting them reveal his blue and white striped boxers. 

Now clad only in undergarments, they pulled back the covers and got into bed, Steve rolling halfway on top of her and starting to kiss down her neck, remembering to continue moving his fingers over her lower spine, since that seemed to generate a good reaction from her. Liberty was starting to get embarrassed that she didn’t know how to get a similar reaction from him. As his mouth began moving down her sternum, however, she discovered something; her hands had run up his back and into his hair, and he seemed to grow just slightly more frantic at the feel of her fingers mussing up the strands. He shyly started brushing kisses over her cleavage, and her grip on his hair tightened, causing him to sigh into her skin. Testing this reaction, she gave the strands a good tug, receiving a louder moan that did not sound unhappy. 

Now starting to get a little more into the swing of things, Steve slid his hand up her back a bit to unhook her bra, tossing it aside, and then he paused and just looked down at her, a bit mesmerized by the sight for a moment. 

“What is it?” she asked self-consciously, wondering if she should cover herself up. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, then lowered his mouth to hers as his hand found its way to the newly exposed area of her body. She fisted up her hands in his hair again, causing his excitement to grow against her thigh, and so she decided to move things along and push his boxers off over his hips. While her hands were down there, in a moment of boldness she firmly gripped his toned backside, pressing his hips into hers, making him groan quite loudly into her mouth. It wasn’t long before he removed her last remaining garment as well and made love to her, their instincts kicking in and allowing them both to be quite satisfied with the new experience.


	15. Liberty and Steve Return

When Steve and Liberty returned from their weekend away, Tony was the first one to make a comment. 

“Woah…you finally gave it away,” he said to Steve. 

“Why don’t you mind your own business?” Steve snapped. 

“Sex is always my business,” Tony answered as if this should be obvious. “And you,” he turned to Liberty, “are practically glowing. So, how big is he? Does he have an enhanced super soldier penis?” 

“Tony!” Lynette scolded. 

“What? It just seems like that would have been part of the experiment. My father was involved, you know.” 

“Gentlemen, do you think the penis envy can wait?” Coulson said in his Agent Voice. “There is still a national threat running around in D.C. I’ve talked to Fury, and there are some new strategies that he’d like to implement. I need to debrief you on the new plan.” 

“Buzzkill,” Tony mumbled. 

Coulson updated them on Fury’s tactics while Liberty updated Lynette on her weekend away with Captain America.


	16. Long-Distance

With the help of the rest of the Avengers, the gunmen were captured and arrested before they could strike anywhere else. Dr. Bruce Banner was able to trace the weapon from Coulson’s gunshot wound to the matching guns, and they were able to find the information they needed at a weapons retailer. They managed to execute the capture pretty easily, and the guys were locked away, leading to some questions regarding recently-developed relationships. 

Coulson stayed at Lynette’s apartment for a little while longer until he was fully recovered, but during that time he and Lynette were a bit quiet with each other knowing that the capture of the gunmen meant that Coulson might have to return to New York, or wherever he came from. 

The day the doctor said that Coulson was fine, things were even more tense between them. Finally, Lynette couldn’t take it anymore and asked to speak with him in the bedroom. 

“So…I guess you’re going back to New York now,” she said, trying to sound like she didn’t care. 

“New York, or wherever S.H.I.E.L.D. takes me next,” he agreed. Lynette nodded, refusing to let any tears show, and controlled her voice. 

“I see. Well, it was great meeting you. Feel free to stop by next time you’re in town.” 

“I’m a little confused,” Phil admitted. “Did I do something wrong?” 

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Why are you breaking up with me?” 

“I’m not. You’re breaking up with me,” she told him, confused. 

“Where would you get that idea?” 

“You’re leaving…I didn’t think you’d want a long-distance girlfriend.” 

“Lynette, my job involves a lot of travelling, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see you as much as I can.” 

“So, you want to come see me when you’re not on a mission?” 

“As much as possible.” 

“Well, I’ll miss you when you’re gone. You can always crash in my bed…and of course, steamy reunion sex is a must.” 

“When I leave, maybe we could have goodbye sex too. It’s only fair,” he reasoned. 

“Right now, you’re not going anywhere,” she informed him. 

“Oh, really?” he asked, intrigued. 

“I’m going to make sure of it.” 

“How do you plan to do that?” 

“I have some ideas,” she said, unknotting his tie. He looked quite interested in these ideas, and even more so when she slid his suit jacket off his shoulders. She pulled him over to the bed and pushed him down onto it, then used his tie to bind his wrists together and attach them to her headboard. 

“This does make it a bit difficult for me to leave,” he agreed. That was the last thing he was allowed to say, since she straddled him and began kissing him deeply, happy that their relationship could continue even if they would have limited time together. While they were kissing, she started slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt, their tongues exploring each other’s mouths slowly. 

When the shirt was open, she kissed across his jaw until she reached his ear, running her tongue just under it and feeling his excitement grow. She continued kissing down his neck, pausing when she reached his collarbone so that she could undo his belt. Before she finished removing his pants, she stood up and slowly unbuttoned her work shirt while he watched, revealing a red, lacy bra underneath. His eyes widened as he took in the view. She next revealed her pencil skirt, exposing the small matching knickers. She then crawled back over him, kissed him hotly, and then finished removing his pants. 

His excitement at this point was quite evident, and Lynette pressed her hips into his teasingly. She undid her bra, giving him another good vision before removing their remaining undergarments and giving him a good reason to stick around for a while.


	17. Liberty Isn't Left Behind

When Steve came back from capturing the shooters, Captain America suit tight around his body, he found Liberty sniffling. 

“Liberty? What’s the matter?” he asked. She hastily wiped away tears, smiling to try to hide it. 

“Nothing,” she said in an unconvincing voice. He sat down on the couch next to her, looking concerned. “Nothing. I’m glad you caught those guys. I’ll feel a lot safer now, even with you all gone,” she said nonchalantly. “So…are you keeping in touch?” 

Steve thought for a moment, the longest moment of Liberty’s life, and then said, 

“You know, I’m always available if S.H.I.E.L.D. needs me, but ever since I was thawed out I haven’t really had a home. I was thinking of looking in this area. I could get an apartment—” he started reasonably, and was cut off by Liberty throwing her arms around him and kissing him lovingly. When they were breathless, she finally stopped. 

“I didn’t want you to leave,” she told him, running her fingers through his hair. 

“I couldn’t leave you,” he said. “New York has plenty of protection, maybe it’s time the capital had some. I’ll be available wherever the Avengers are needed, but where you are is my home.”   
He captured her lips again, slipping his tongue past her lips and pulling her closer. Her hands wandered up and down his chest, feeling his muscles through his uniform. A few minutes later, she got up and pulled him by the hand, making him stand up by suggestion rather than strength, and dragged him into the bedroom. 

Before reaching the bed, she undid his belt and tossed it away, then removed his gloves, leaving his hands free to move over her lower spine. She used the front of his uniform to pull his mouth back to hers, then undid the flap on the front of his uniform that concealed half of the zipper. When the zipper was undone, she removed the top half of his uniform and ran her hands over his sculpted chest. 

She pushed him down onto the bed and followed him down, allowing him to pull her shirt over her head. As he ran his hands over her curves, she began kissing a path down his neck while roughly grabbing handfuls of his hair, which she knew was a maneuver that drove him crazy. 

As his excitement grew, she undid his uniform pants and boxers, then hiked her skirt up, showing him how much she appreciated him staying in town.


	18. Lynette's Boyfriend Returns

Liberty helped Steve apartment hunt, Tony returned to New York, and Coulson went to the helicarrier to check in with Fury. A month or so passed, and Liberty spent as much time as possible with Lynette to make up for the fact that the tour guide’s boyfriend was out of town. 

When Coulson returned to D.C., he didn’t tell Lynette that he was coming; instead he arranged things with Liberty so that he could surprise his girlfriend. Liberty left a key for him so that he could spend the day making preparations, and Liberty arranged to spend the night at Steve’s new apartment. 

When Lynette arrived home, she found Phil wearing black pants and a white button-down shirt with no jacket or tie and holding a single red rose. He had a dinner of pasta with vodka sauce set up on a table in the living room with glasses of red wine. Lynette took a moment to process what she was seeing, then a huge smile spread over her face and she ran to Phil, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him all the kisses she’d saved up for him. Her mouth started moving down his neck, coming to rest on that sensitive area just below his ear. 

“While I like the direction in which this is headed, perhaps we should have dinner first,” he suggested. 

“You’re right,” she agreed, backing away. “It smells amazing and I’m starving.” She got a vase for the rose and put it in the middle of the table, then they sat and enjoyed the delicious meal and wine, then Phil got the dishes soaking in the sink and poured them each another glass of wine for them to sip while they cuddled on the couch and caught up. 

When the wine was finished, they set the glasses down on the coffee table and Phil placed a kiss into her hair. 

“So…about what you started when you came in…” he hinted. 

“Are you demanding steamy reunion sex, Agent Coulson?” she asked seductively. His pupils widened at her use of his job title, and she had the idea to continue down this path. “What do you need me to do, Agent?” 

“Let’s go in the other room,” he said in an official voice. They went to her bedroom and closed the door. “Get on the bed,” he ordered, “and don’t move unless I tell you to.” She silently obeyed, reclining on the bed and staying still. He looked her over for a moment before joining her on the bed, sliding his hands up her legs, over her hips, and up her sides. He gave her a tease of a kiss and then moved his mouth to her ear, taking her earlobe between his teeth and causing her to sigh. He began kissing and sucking his way down her neck, and she   
instinctively put her hands on the back of his head. He grabbed them and pinned them to the mattress. “I told you not to move,” he reminded her. She nodded obediently and he took this as a sign to continue. 

He nipped at her collarbone, then freed up one hand, using the other hand to hold both wrists, while he used the available hand to slowly undo the buttons of her shirt. Once it was open, he ran a finger down her cleavage, past her bra, and down her stomach, making her tremble. He reached his hand under her to undo her bra, but found no clasp, and then noticed the small hook on the front of the garment. He gave her a wicked look and used both hands to hold her wrists down again while he started kissing down her sternum and into her cleavage. When he reached the edge of the bra, he used his teeth to undo the front clasp. He explored the exposed skin with his mouth and then paused and released her wrists. 

“If you move, I’ll have to restrain you again,” he warned. He then removed her skirt, revealing her black lacy knickers. He still hadn’t removed a single stitch of his own clothing.   
He started moving his mouth down her stomach, and she once again couldn’t help but move her hands, trying to undo a button on his shirt. He captured her wrists under one hand again, making her unable to touch him, and used his free hand to tease her through her knickers while his mouth moved to her ear. When she was almost undone and begging for him, he stood up and slowly removed his clothes. 

Before long, he removed her last garment and showed her how much she’d missed her.


	19. Liberty?

“Liberty? Really? That’s not a nickname you made up?” Maria Hill said skeptically, rolling her eyes. She was used to Tony’s gossip, but this one just seemed implausible. 

“Nope. That’s her honest-to-god name. You should see her, too. She wears red lipstick and sailor dresses like she belongs on a World War II propaganda poster. I do call her Miss ‘Murica, though.” 

“You’re kidding.” 

“No. I could not make this up. I’m creative, but not that creative. For example, every time you glare at me, I call you Maria Kill in my head.” She glared at him. “But, you know, I relinquish my title to you. You’re better at nicknames than I am.” 

She looked curious, then rolled her eyes again. 

“Alright. Enlighten me.” 

“Now, I heard this from Sarah in the weapons department, but apparently, ever since that night we drank all the tequila, you refer to me as the Iron Giant…and that it’s not about my height.” 

“I told her not to…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she corrected, flustered. 

“No, it’s cool, Maria Kill.” 

“Mr. Stark, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to continue the meeting now,” Fury said sarcastically, looking around the big table at his agents. Tony looked around, satisfied that he was now the center of attention, and allowed the meeting to continue as normal.


End file.
